Taboo
by Lost to the Hoping
Summary: Beyond pain, beyond sorrow, beyond despair, there is life. There is one taboo in the work of a shinigami; thou shalt never kill a miko. On hiatus
1. Prologue

**Prologue - Preview**

-

"Father, I have sinned," she murmured, closing her eyes as if to block out the memory of what she'd done.

On the other side of the grate, Father Takichi of the St. Francis Catholic Church in West Tokyo, sighed and nodded. "Go on, child, he replied.

Kagome, despite not being even remotely, by any stretch of the imagination Christian, did. "Father, I killed a man today. It was an accident..."

_"What the hell?! I can't stand women like you, Kagome!" he screamed, fed up with her wishing for a man long-dead._

_Kagome, hurt, balled her hands up into fists. "Fine! How 'bout we just end it then?!"_

_"Fine with me!" he retorted snidely._

_"Fine!" She shoved him and spun away, but upon hearing glass shatter, she turned back, face draining of color as he fell out the window. "No! Oh kami, HOJO!!"_

"... but it still happened."

Father Takichi sighed again. "Oh, dear child..." he murmured sympathetically.

"I didn't even want him to die!" she went on, beginning another bout of crying. "It was just a stupid argument; we would have made up by midnight. But now he's... he's gone, and... Father, I don't know what to do!"

"Pray with me?" he asked, peering through the grate at the pretty woman sitting there. She met his gaze, blue eyes sparkling with tears, and he bowed his head. "Heavenly father, we ask of you this night..."

-

**R&R! Tell me what you think.**


	2. Setting the Stage

**Taboo**

**Chapter 1**

**Setting the Stage**

-

"How many people do you think are praying to 'god' now?"

Light rolled his eyes and shot Ryuk a glare. "Would you shut up? I'm working."

"No."

The glare intensified. "Ry-u-k," he growled, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ryuk muttered, waving a dismissive hand. "Hey, gotta apple?" he asked, mostly to change the subject.

Light sighed and motioned toward his closet, where he kept a bag of them in a small fridge in the corner. At Ryuk's strangled cry of victory, he scowled at the sometimes annoying shinigami. Today more than usual, apparently. "_Now_ will you shut up?"

Mouth half full, Ryuk replied, "I gueff..."

"Idiot."

He was prevented from commenting further when a line from the news anchor on the TV caught his attention. "... fell to his death earlier this afternoon. We'll take you to Takaki Takashi at the scene."

They showed a middle aged man in khaki pants and a grey hoody, wearing square framed glasses. His black and grey ponytail flapped in the early-autum breeze as he paused briefly before speaking. "Thanks, Hawaki-san," he said into the mic. "Earlier today, 25 year old Shizune Hojo was pushed from his tenth-floor office. Witnesses claim to have seen this woman fleeing the scene." At the corner of the screen, it showed a shocked-looking girl's photograph, obviously taken from a security camera. "As of now, no one has been able to identify her..."

"Whaddya thinkin', LIght?" Ryuk asked, eyeing the television set.

Light hummed noncommitally and looked back down at the Death Note. "I think... I'm going over to Ryuga's house..."

-

"I think you're going to die."

Kagome jumped about a foot into the air before spinning around to stare at the two men sitting in one of the pues outside the confession box of St. Francis' Catholic Church. "What?" she asked after a moment's stunned silence, voice barely audible at what she was sure she couldn't have heard.

The man closest to her, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and jeans, grinned slightly. "Kira," he clarified, saying the name on everyone's lips. "I think he might kill you."

Kagome gaped at him, hand resting on the door to the confessional. "Are... are you crazy?" she finally asked, looking from him to the obvious butler at his side.

"Possibly. But you know what they say about great minds," was the cheeky reply, accompanied by a rather unnerving grin.

"Are you gonna kill me?" she asked bluntly, uncertain about this entire confrontation.

He grinned again and shook his head. "Nah. I'm a detective. My job is to _catch_ the guy who's going to kill you." He leaned forward on his toes suddenly, legs bent and knees pressed against his chest. "Want to help?" he asked, wobbling slightly, though his butler reached out to steady him.

She blinked. "Um... help?"

He nodded eagerly. "Un. Help me catch Kira. You're the perfect bait, and if you live, I'll make Hojo-kun's murder disappear."

Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes, feeling a tic begin in her temple. "Look, I don't need your help. I have connections if I wanted that, and I'm not really worried about KIra, either." She slid the confessional door closed. "And as for being bait... it wouldn't work anyway." She gave the priest a polite bow, inclined her head to the detective, and left.

L watched her go, bemused. "Was it something I said?" he asked the man sitting beside him.

-

"It is _imperative_ that I talk to Ryuga," Light said through gritted teeth, frowning at the servant before him.

"I'm sorry, Yagami-sama. Ryuga-sama instructed that no one is to enter the manor for another hour," she murmured apologetically.

He huffed and refrained from fisting his hands. "Is that bastard screwing with me?"

Her eyes widened. "Yagami-sama!" she gasped in affront.

"It's alright, Mue-san," L's voice wafted down the hall as he walked into view, grinning slightly. "I'm back."

"You were gone?" Light asked, temper cooling quickly now that he had his way.

"Sweet run," L chirped sweetly.

"Another words, you were screwing with me," Light deduced, sighing.

Rather than answer, L held up a grocery store bag. "Twinky?" he offered, almost hopefully.

Light shook his head, getting himself back on track. "No. We have more important things to worry about. Like that news broadcast an hour ago. Did you see it?"

L pulled a Twinky from the bag and headed back into the house, obviously expecting Light to follow, which he did. "... No..." he murmured thoughtfully. "But I was in the building when it happened, so I assume it was about Hojo-kun's murder..."

Light blinked, then narrowed his eyes, two questions surfacing in his mind. He asked the more obvious, determining to figure out the other on his own later. "You knew the victim?" he queried.

L shrugged and bit into the creme-filled cake in his hand. "Not well... He was just a business contact," he replied airily, as if his mind was on something else entirely.

"Information on Kira?" Light asked, feigning eagerness. Knowing L, it was more likely to be-

"Twinkies," L corrected, smirking in amusement. Of course it was a lie, but he wouldn't tell Light that. It was much too fun to make the younger male scowl like that. "His murderer was also his girlfriend, actually. Higurashi Kagome, though only you and I know that..."

Light barely held back - another - scowl, realizing how neatly _that_ trap had been set. For some reason, L was protecting Higurashi-san, but also using her as bait for Light. And since only Light and L himself knew her name (currently), he'd have to bide his time and wait for the word to get out before he could punish her.

"She said the oddest thing," L went on, pulling Light from his thoughts.

"Uh... You talked to her?" Light asked, stepping into the taskforce room. He was slightly surprised to see that they were alone, until he remembered L saying something about a day off. "When?"

L nodded absently, getting comfortable on a couch before breaking out another Twinky. "Yes... She said-" He paused to tear open the package with his teeth. "-That she wasn't worried about Kira, and that using her as bait wouldn't work..."

This was a bit surprising, causing Light to quirk a brow at the detective. "Did she say why?"

At this, L sighed and shook his head regretfully. "No... I wasn't very interesting, apparently..." He frowned. "She left..."

Before Light could form a response, the servant that had answered the door interrupted them. "Ryuga-sama? You have a visitor."

-

**Well! There's the first chapter! I hope you like it; R&R. Don't just fave/alert people!**


	3. Prediction

**Taboo**

**Chapter 2**

**Prediction**

-

Kagome's heart was going ninety miles a minute as she drove from the Catholic church to the edges of Tokyo, feeling more terrified than she had since Inuyasha's death. Somebody knew that she'd killed Hojo. Somehow, someway, that detective had found out. She was just waiting to realize that someone was tailing her, heart speeding up everytime someone drove behind her for more than a minute.

When she finally turned off the exit for her destination and Taisho Sesshomaru's house came into view, she allowed herself a moment to breathe. Unsurprisingly, she was passed through the gates without having to stop and Sesshomaru himself awaited her in the parlor.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she cried upon seeing him and threw her arms around his waist.

The decidedly uncomfortable daiyokai, complete with an armful of crying miko, shifted uneasily. "Miko..." He sighed. "Come, this way," he ordered before ushering her into the 'tea' room off to the side. "Speak." He handed her a glass of water, motioned to a couch, and sat to listen.

She took a seat on the indicated couch, sipping the water and collecting her thoughts. After a moment's silence, she finally spoke. "Sesshomaru-sama, I killed a man," she whispered.

He nodded. "I know. It was all over the news, though no one knows who you are. Yet."

Kagome shook her head. "But Sesshomaru-sama! Somebody _does_ know!"

He frowned, tensing imperceptibly. "Who?"

"I don't know- I don't know!" she said, quickly beginning to panic. She felt rushed for some reason, even though Sesshomaru wasn't hurrying her in the least. "He was a detective or something! I don't _know_!"

"Take a sip of the water and calm down," he ordered tersely, his voice leaving no room to argue.

"Okay..." she mumbled and obeyed. Once she was confident that she was calm enough to continue, she went on. "Um, I went to that Catholic church by my apartment. You know, St. Francis or something like that?" he nodded. "Well, I decided I might as well and confessed to the priest. It was okay, I guess, and he prayed for me.

"When I came out, there were these two guys sitting there. One of them looked kinda like your butler Keishi. The way he dressed, I mean. Like a butler. The other guy... I think he was crazy or something..." She pressed her lips together, thoughtful. "He told me that he was a detective, and that he thought Kira was gonna kill me. He wanted to use me for bait to catch Kira."

"Bait?" Sesshomaru demanded, frowning angrily. "Did he say who he was?"

"No. He kinda creeped me out, so I left..." she admitted.

"What did he look like?"

"Um... blue jeans... a long-sleeved white shirt..." She frowned, trying to remember the exacts. "I think his eyes might have been brown, but I can't remember. His hair was ear-length, and black. Oh! And he kinda looked like he hasn't slept in a week." She lifted her hands, rubbing the skin beneath her eyes. "He had dark circles around his eyes, and bags under them."

Sesshomaru gave her a skeptical look. "That's a very detailed description, Kagome," he pointed out doubtfully.

"He was creepy!" she retorted.

"So you've said." He sighed. "Very well, I'll see what I can find out."

Relief ran through her and she smiled at him. "Thank you so much, Sesshomaru-sama."

-

As soon as Kagome left, Sesshomaru got to work looking for the man she'd described. He checked every database for detectives that he could think of or dig up, from national to international, even looking into foreign agencies and *PIs. But the more he dug, the more frustrated he became.

This man didn't exist. There were several people resembling the man, of course, but not one of them were actually posted in Japan. Or they'd recently died...

Somewhere between looking into foreign PIs and detective agencies involved in the Kira case, a niggling suspicion began to eat at him. When the Kira-involved agencies turned up nothing, Sesshomaru snatched up his cell from the corner of his desk, abandoning the computer search and files completely.

He tapped his claws impatiently on the soft wood of his desk while he listened to the ringing in his ear. He nearly jumped when there was a click on the other end, but didn't give them a chance to speak. "I need to speak with Hokashi-san. Tell him it's urgent and that this is Taisho Sesshomaru," he ordered them.

"Oh, uh, yessir," the female voice agreed on the other end. "Please hold," she added nervously.

The hold music barely had a chance to start before it stopped abruptly and a male voice answered. "Sesshomaru? That you?" he asked.

Sesshomaru nodded, though the other couldn't see it. "Yes-"

"Oh, great! Been a while! How're ya doin'?"

"Shippo, I need you to find some things out for me," Sesshomaru said tersely, ignoring the fox's **pleasantries.

"Uh... yeah, sure," Shippo replied uncertainly. "Ningen or yokai?"

"Ningen," the daiyokai replied. "What do you know about the human detective known as 'L'?"

"L?" the fox asked, sounding slightly surprised. "Not much, I'm afraid. ***He hides his activities and identity better than even Totosai." He paused, the silence thoughtful. "Hey, Kanna!" he said suddenly, his voice now muffled. "Weren't you saying something about L, just the other day?"

Sesshomaru quirked a brow, mildly surprised. He hadn't known that Kanna, once an incarnation of Naraku's, freed by his death, was working with Shippo as a PI. Or maybe not. She might just be a secretary or something. Really, it was hard to tell at this point.

"Okay," Shippo said, knocking the daiyokai from his thoughts. "Kanna says that rumor has it that this L guy is actually over there in Tokyo, working on the Kira case. Nobody knows _where_ in Tokyo, but I can check with an old ningen friend of mine to see if he knows anything. His name's Tota Matsuda, and last I heard, he was on the taskforce to find and arrest Kira. I can give him a call-"

"No need," Sesshomaru interrupted briskly. "I will talk to him myself. Thank you for the information."

Shippo sighed, and the daiyokai could practically see the frown of worry on his face. "Sesshomaru, don't hurt him, please..."

The former lord of the Western lands snorted and subsequently ignored the warning. "If I need anything else, I will contact you." Without waiting for the fox to reply, he clicked the 'end' button and pocketed the cellular phone.

Time to see if one Tota Matsuda knew anything about L.

-

There were very few times in Matsuda's life that he wished he _weren't_ in the loop. Now, unfortunately, was one of them. He had absolutely no idea _how_ Ryuzaki had managed to piss off Tokyo's number one bachelor and founder of ***4**Tessaiga Corporation, Taisho Sesshomaru, but he had and now the guy was taking it out on Matsuda.

"I honestly have no _idea_ who L is! I swear!" he said, backing up as Taisho advanced on him. He avoided the livingroom, since his mother was asleep on the couch, and backed down the hall, toward his bedroom and the bathroom. "He never shows his face to us! Uses a computer and all!" Okay, so that was how he _used_ to do it, but he wasn't about to tell Taisho that.

However, Taisho didn't appear to be very stupid. "You are lying, fool. Tell me where he is," the man ordered imperiously, his voice taking on an 'or else' tone all on it's own.

"I can't! I'll lose my job!" he replied, heart stuttering when he backed into the wall.

Taisho scoffed. "A _job_ can be replaced," he replied, obviously implying what couldn't.

Matsuda gulped at this. "I... I... H-how do I know you won't kill him?" he stuttered, beginning to shake. This wasn't anything like searching for Kira. It was like butting heads with an angry demon. Especially with the glare Taisho had in his arsenal.

A purely blood-thirsty smile crawled across Taisho's face, nearly causing Matsuda's heart to stop. "You don't," he answered.

-

"I wasn't very interesting, apparently," L told Light, frowning in bemusement. "She left..."

Light opened his mouth to reply when they were interrupted by Mue-san, who looking startlingly pale. "Ryuzaki-sama?" she said. "You have a visitor."

The words had no sooner left her mouth before Matsuda stumbled into the room as if pushed, also considerably pale. He was followed by a tall, pale haired, fair skinned man wearing a pristine white suit, complete with white shoes. Piercing light brown eyes swept over the room assessingly before landing on first L, then Light. Gaze frigid, he glanced coolly at Mue-san. "Thank you. You can leave," he dismissed.

Knocked momentarily from his fearful paralysis, Matsuda stumbled to his feet and dove behind the couch that L occupied. "Sorry, Ryuzaki," he squeeked as he ducked down and out of view.

Dismissing the newcomer rather quickly, L turned and leaned over the back of the couch. He blinked and lifted a brow in surprise when he was that Matsuda was currently out of commission and therefore unable to be questioned. He was crouching behind the couch, shaking like a leaf with his hands covering his ears as if he had no wish to hear whatever followed.

That was rather disappointing, in L's oppinion. Now he couldn't ask him what had happened.

"Which one of you is L?" the man demanded. When L turned around, he saw that despite the man's question, his gaze was already trained on L, a displeased scowl marring otherwise perfect features.

L opened his mouth to admit it, but Light stood quickly, drawing both of their gazes. ***5**"I am L, now who are you and why are you here?" he demanded confidently.

The man appeared to take a closer look at Light before dismissing him with a snort. "If that is so, then I am correct in assuming he already knows about the happenings at the Chapel?" he asked, looking directly at L.

Realization dawned on L and he grinned slightly before fishing abother Twinky out of the grocery bag. ***6**"You're not Kira, are you?" he asked rhetorically, coming to the conclusion that he couldn't possibly be Kira. For one, ***7**he wasn't nearly that smart, and second, this man saw no point in hiding his intentions. In fact, he almost went out of his way to act hostile, most likely to intimidate those present.

The man's eyes narrowed angrily at the suggestion. "I ask you a question," he growled. "Answer it."

L resisted a smirk, knowing that was likely to get him killed at this point. And this was the sort of man that would enjoy the court battle afterward. "You really should introduce yourself," L said, biting into the small yellow cake. "You are being rude," he accused with a soft chuckle. Of course, he'd already figured out who the man was, due to his broadcasted relationship with Higurashi-san.

When the man growled and took a threatening step forward - meant mostly to intimidate, though L held no doubts that the threat would be seen through - Light was quick to jump in and attempt to diffuse the situation. "Yes, he did. What about it? Who are you?" he repeated.

"I did _not_ ask _you_," he snarled, shooting a frosty glare in Light's direction that was enough to make him recoil and fall silent. Satisfied that the boy would remain that way, he turned his glare on L, not that it did much to intimidate him. But it was the principal of the thing that mattered. "If you know what is best for you, you will remain silent on the matter. Do not force me to take further action."

L looked up from his sweets sharply, something familiar and challanging coursing through his veins. "Is that a threat?" he asked, an unintentional smile curling across his lips. "Taisho-san?"

Taisho Sesshomaru was also smiling, though in a manner that promised bloodshed. "No," he replied simply. "It is a prediction."

"Oh, good. And here you had me worried."

-

**Well! That's the end of the third chapter! R&R, don't just fave/alert!**

**Translations:**

**Miko: Priestess**

**Ningen: Human**

**Yokai: (sometimes seen as 'youkai') Demon**

**Daiyokai: (sometimes seen as 'daiyoukai') A sort of demon lord.**

**Honorifics:**

**-san: This is the most common honorific and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., or Mrs. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.**

**-sama: This is one level higher than '-san' and is used to confer great respect.**

**-[blank]: (meaning no honorific) This is usually forgotten in these lists, but it is perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of permission. Known as **_**yobisute**_**, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. But when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can be very insulting.**

**Places:**

**Tokyo: The capitol of Japan. It has many districts, but to most foreigners, the entire area is known simply as 'Tokyo', hence my references to 'west Tokyo' and such.**

**St. Francis Catholic Church: This is, obviously, a fictional place that I completely pulled out of my ass. I do not even know if Tokyo has catholic churches, though it's likely to have one or two. So don't go looking for the place or something...**

**Astericks:**

***PI: A PI is a private investigator, and while I don't know if they have them in Japan, I assume as much. A lot of people think it's easy cash.**

****Pleasantries: In many fics, pleasantries, such as 'how are you', 'I'm doing great', and 'how have you been' are generally human things and therefore unnecessary for demons. However, like with Shippo, many demons have picked this up as a sort of habit.**

*****'He hides his activities and identity better than even Totosai': Even in the anime and manga, Totosai was a bit reclusive, so I very much doubt that he's let go of that, even if humans have more or less taken over the Earth. And, on that note, he's several hundred, maybe even a thousand, years old. He's bound to know how to hide himself.**

***4Tessaiga Corporation: Simply put, yes. He named his company after his brother's sword.**

***5"I am L": It's mostly another bit of Light attempting to get suspicion off of him, though it may be a few parts curiosity as well.**

***6"You're not Kira, are you?": No, he's not accusing him of being Kira. It was a sarcastic remark. L, obviously, is very much aware that Sesshy isn't Kira.**

***7'he wasn't nearly that smart': This one is just to save myself from a headache later on when some rabid fangirl starts yelling at me 'cause I 'insulted Fluffy-sama's intelligence'. No, I'm not insulting it, but truth be told, he's **_**not**_** that smart. Yes, he is of moderate intelligence, but unlike L and Light, he isn't some sort of supergenius. He's mostly known for his military precision and prowess, as well as his demon traits and instincts. Not his brains. Sesshy=brawns, L=Brains. Not the other way around.**

**And that's it... A lot of explanation there, but mostly 'cause I didn't want to deal with it later or because I wasn't going to go any deeper into the explanation of it in the story.**


	4. Tootsie Rolls and the Only Taboo

**Taboo**

**Chapter 3**

**Tootsie Rolls and the Only Taboo**

-

To say Kagome was surprised to see not only Sesshomaru, but the detective from the church in her kitchen that Saturday morning would have been an understatement. However, the thing she was worried about was that they had somehow found her stash of Tootsie Rolls. The detective was eating them, and she somehow imagined that Inuyasha would probably be laughing at her right now.

She stood stock still in the entrance of her kitchen, unable to say anything as they argued about Kira's baser points. It wasn't until the third man - someone she didn't recognize leaning against the wall, rubbing his temples - saw her and spoke up that they finally noticed her.

"Higurashi-san, I presume?" he asked. "I'm Yagami Light. It's nice to meet you," he said with a polite bow.

Sesshomaru frowned, ignoring the man. "Kagome. You should get dressed," he suggested, quirking a brow at her pajamas depicting little scruffy dogs chasing multicolored bunnies around rabbit holes.

She could feel her face grow red as she curled her hands into fists and scowled darkly at him. "And _you_ should get out of my house," she retorted hotly. "_I_ should be able to walk around in _my_ PJs in _my_ kitchen without having to worry about _you_ seeing me in them because you just _let__** yourself IN**_ and didn't _knock_ or even tell me you were coming _over_! And _where_ did you get a key to my house, anyway? I _know_ I locked the door and so help me if you ruined my locks, Sesshomaru, you're _paying _for them!"

The detective smirked. "Light-kun," (Sesshomaru frowned. "I acquired it from Sota," he replied.) "I wager five hundred yen on the girl." ("Stole it, you mean?" she demanded.) Light sighed and looked exasperated, but L went on. (Sesshomaru scoffed. "He _gave_ it to me," he retorted.) "What about you?" L asked eagerly.

Unfortunately, Kagome appeared to be good at multitasking and rounded on the detective, her wrath descending upon him. "And _you_!" she declared, pointing at him. "Are you stalking me or something? And where did you get those Tootsie Rolls?"

His smirk widened into something self-congradulatory. "The cupboard."

"You got into my _chocolate_?!" she demanded, her voice beginning to go shrill.

The smirk vanished and if Light didn't know better, he would swear up and down that the normally fearless detective paled just a bit. "Um..." L trailed off, gaze darting toward Sesshomaru as he leaned back as if to escape her ire.

Light sighed and handed her a glass of water. "You're probably thirsty," he said, more to distract her and diffuse the situation than through any fear of her being dehydrated. Honestly, he kind of wished she'd just drop dead, but that wasn't up to him. Yet.

She nodded and took it gratefully. "Thanks. Now where was I?"

Sesshomaru crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "You were going to go get dressed," he replied evenly.

She pointed at him angrily and shook her finger for a minute before speaking. "Fine. But I'm not through with you, mister," she threatened lamely.

"Of that I have no doubt," he replied dryly, rolling his eyes.

As soon as she stomped back down the hall, L rose and returned the rest of the Tootsie Rolls to their proper place, asking, "Is she _always_ like that?"

"She has a bit of a temper," Sesshomaru replied with a sigh. "She hasn't railed on me like that in five- well, in a while."

Light watched Sesshomaru curiously, wondering what he'd been about to say before he changed his statement. "Why is that?" he asked, also picking up on the fact that it was ulike her to hold back. Sesshomaru didn't answer, leaving the brunet to wonder just what sort of secret these two had.

-

Light stared at the Death Note, sitting almost innocently before him, trying to figure out what he should do. The girl was a murderer, and worse, it was beginning to look like she would get away with it. How could they not see how evil that woman was? How could they let themselves be convinced of her innocence simply by a few tears and bats of her admittedly long eyelashes? She had to be a demon; that was the only explanation.

Even L appeared to have been entranced by the vixen, making Light wonder - and not for the first time - what she and Taisho-san could possibly be hiding. Was it some sort of sorcery? Perhaps something-

"Hey, I didn't think you'd be back already," Ryuk said suddenly as he appeared out of nowhere and rudely interrupted Light's thoughts.

Light gave him a cursory glance before looking back down at the Death Note. A thought entered his mind and he spun his chair around, eyes narrowing on the shinigami. "Oh? And why's that?" he asked, playing at idle curiosity, but by the look in Ryuk's half-crazed eye, he wasn't fooled.

Instead, Ryuk pretended to be surprised, though he answered anyway. "Well, if you ask me, it looked like you an' that pretty girl were hittin' it off..."

So that was it. Light rolled his eyes and turned away, disinterested in the idiot's babble. "Oh, please. You're going to make me sick. Besides, I was only there to make sure she didn't decide to kill L or something."

The shinigami snorted, hovering just behind Light. "Yeah, that's another thing," Ryuk said with a roll of his eyes. "Do you like the guy or do you hate the guy? Pick one; you can't do both," he declared.

Light shot a scowl in Ryuk's general direction, though he was too busy writing names and imagining the faces to bother with anything more than that. "I _respect_ him," he retorted.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think creepy genius detectives that are trying to catch and arrest you turn you on," Ryuk muttered, just loud enough for Light to hear him. "But I know better, eh?"

The young detective spun his chair around again and pinned him with a glare that could freeze water. "_What_... Did you say?" he demanded softly, voice on the edge of a growl.

To his credit, Ryuk hesitated before forcing out a nervous laugh, imagining burning apples. "I'm... gonna go see Rem," he said before disappearing through the wall.

"Coward," Light scoffed and turned back to the Death Note.

-

Misa had just gone to bed when Ryuk slid into the room and motioned for Rem to follow him. She sighed but obliged and arrived on the roof at the other shinigami's heels. "What is it?" she asked, glaring at him in irritation.

Ryuk scowled around, almost as if afraid someone would overhear them, though that was ridiculous since Rem knew Misa's window was shut. "Well..." the male shinigami muttered, glancing at Rem before checking around again. He looked almost nervous. How odd. "I think... we have a problem," he said with a frown.

Rem blinked. A problem? For them? "What are you talking about?" she demanded suspiciously, something uncertain in her twisting.

"I really don't think I should be saying this-"

"Just get on with it," Rem growled, narrowing her eyes at him.

Ryuk glanced around again and swallowed before leaning forward and replying in a hushed tone, "I think we... Well, a miko... I saw one. She's an enemy of Light's and-"

"What?!" Rem demanded, eyes going wide and that uncertain feeling turning to something akin to fear. For one, mikos actually could kill them if they so wished, and for another... Killing them was against the Rules. It wasn't physically impossible, but they'd definitely be destroyed if they so much as attempted it.

Ryuk nodded. "It's the Taboo... Man, if I'd known I would run into one in this era, I woulda stayed in the shinigami world and left the humans alone," he grumbled. "What should we do? Light is gonna try eventually, and it'll be in my note-"

"Shit," Rem growled. "Well. You'll have to tell him if you want to keep yourself alive. If he kills a miko with your note, Ryuk, you're screwed. You won't be able to run forever, and you'll die."

Ryuk spun around in irritation, reaching up to scratch his neck. "I know, I know... But 'e won't like it..."

"Of course he won't like it," Rem retorted. "That boy is spoiled and doesn't like to be told no. But he can't do it. Just... Tell 'im his memory will be permanently erased or something if he does it."

"That would be lying."

"And you don't lie?"

"Point." Ryuk sighed. "Alright, I'll... tell 'im. Eventually."

Rem rolled her eyes. "Fine. I have to get back in to Misa. Good luck." She paused. "What's the miko's name?"

"Higurashi Kagome. She's also associated with a daiyokai."

Rem winced. "Great. Those things are really nasty to deal with..."

Ryuk chuckled at that. "Yeah... Better yet, it's that one that Gredos was so pissed off about five hundred years ago."

Rem palmed her face. "Just my luck. Well, better leave him alone, too. See ya."

"Yeah," Ryuk said. "Whatever. Bye." He leapt off the roof and took flight, disappearing into the night and Rem returned to Misa's room, thoughts churning.

What a nasty developement...

-

**Well, there you go. Chapter 3. I will not be posting this until I can find someone to beta the story, though... Or not. If you wanna beta Taboo, PM me. R&R!**


	5. The Secret Hidden in Words

**As you may have noticed, I have a habit - in this story - of doing mostly unconnected scenes and then going back and finishing them later. I will now finish that scene at Kagome's house as well as start up and finish a few more. XD Thanks!**

**Taboo**

**Chapter 4**

**The Secret Hidden in Words**

-

The stranger glared at L, brows drawn together with fury. "If you know what is best for you, you will remain silent on the matter. Do not force me to take further action," he snarled angrily, and Light had the feeling that this situation was quickly spinning out of hand.

Something told him that this man, whoever he was, would not hesitate for a moment to kill either of them. Probably with his own hands, too. That's what Light was worried about. Surely he wouldn't be able to get to the Death Note - not that it'd do him much good, as he didn't know the man's name anyway - before the pale, truly frightening - _no wonder Matsuda's cowering_ - man threw himself at L and ripped his throat out with his bare hands. Which were clawed, he'd noticed. Of course, they hadn't been when the man came in, but now they were, and there was the slightest bit of red tint to his eyes.

Maybe he was drugged; that could be it. Light doubted it, even as the thought passed his mind, and he focused on the problem at hand. Getting out alive.

However, as luck would have it, the scene went on while he was thinking and L was looking up at the stranger now, some unnameable excitement gleaming in his eyes at the obvious threat. "Is that a threat?" he asked almost giddily, smiling the strangest smile Light had ever seen cross his face. It made the younger boy just a little nervous. "Taisho-san?" he added after a beat.

Light's eyes widened as things clicked. Taisho. As in Taisho Sesshomaru, number one bachelor of Japan. As in Taisho Sesshomaru, ruthless business man known to destroy his enemies from the inside out - sometimes not so legally, though there was never any proof, only acid. In person, Light understood why people referred to Taisho as the 'Demon of Business'. He was positively evil.

Light should just get rid of him, but he could do that later. If he lived.

Of course, the smile now on Taisho's face compounded the thought _if he lived_, what with the obvious thirst for both blood and a challenge. "No," he said, answering L's question, and the smile inched a little wider. "It is a prediction."

Light's mouth fell open at Taisho's audacity, and then he gaped further when L looked just a bit satisfied. "Oh, good," the genius detective drawled. "And here you had me worried," he said before laughing outright.

Taisho's brow twitched, but he clearly recognised the concession for what it was and straightened, scoffing. "Baka," he grumbled, only further amusing L. He glanced at Light and scowled. "In the future, do not lie to me, Yagami Light," he said, and the boy cringed.

Okay, so he knew who he was. Damn. Time to try and explain his 'motives'. "It was purely for security reasons," Light said, straightening a bit. "If it means eventually catching Kira, I have no problem pretending to be L."

Taisho didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the matter and turned back to L. "What is the price of your silence, boy?" he demanded, and it just occurred to Light that while he looked around their age, he had to be at least ten years older. How odd.

"No monitory gain," L replied with a shrug, his fingers poking holes thoughtfully into his half-finished Twinky. "As you can see, money isn't a problem for me. However... I would like it if you were to convince her to help us catch Kira..."

Taisho tensed slightly, eyes narrowing in obvious anger. "Out of the question. I will not endanger her life unnecessarily. Kira is not an issue with us and we are not involved with him," he replied, and Light read _as long as he does not become involved with us_ clearly, though it went unsaid.

L shrugged, waving the Twinky around as if to expound on his words. "She doesn't need to be endangered. But what other choice does she have? If she's helping me on the case, I can use that as grounds in court to make her accident go away. If she doesn't help me, all she'll be doing is hiding herself from the rest of Japan. What would she do?"

The taller male stood straighter, eyes narrowed and chin lifted in challenge to L's words. "She'll leave the country," he replied, fists curling - _no claws? Maybe I imagined it_, Light thought - and form tense. "I will not endanger her life."

L laughed incredulously. "And become a fugitive? What sort of life is that?" he demanded heatedly, leaning forward in his seat as Matsuda peeked over the back of the couch at the others. "If she helps us, she can go home afterward, Taisho-san. She can live a normal life, without worry about Hojo-kun's ghost coming back to haunt her."

Light was surprised when Taisho actually paused to consider this point. He would have pegged the man as the sort to act out of anger without any thought, but he was clearly wrong. Especially since Taisho looked a little more annoyed. His lips became a flat line and his face a mostly expressionless mask as light brown eyes looked right into L's coal-black eyes. "Very well," he agreed, much to Light's astonishment - Matsuda was shaking a little - and he inclined his head to L. "But I will tell you this..."

Here, he took a step toward L, who tensed and suddenly didn't look quite as confident, and effectively loomed over him. "I will kill you if she dies. I will rip your heart out with my own hands."

_That_, Light thought, was a threat. Apparently Taisho didn't mince words, either. And by the look of shock on L's face, he'd realized this too. Perhaps this wasn't a gamble they should be taking- but then L's face cleared and he smiled. "You have my word. I will catch Kira, and Higurashi-san will come out of it alive."

Satisfied, Taisho turned away and grabbed up a piece of paper from a table, heedless of the writing already on it. He picked up a pen from the same table and jotted something down. "Meet me here," he circled it, "On Saturday morning at 8. Kagome should be joining us at about 9." He handed the paper to Light, who glanced at it before passing it to L. The man then left without so much as a 'good bye', and Light found it much easier to breathe once he was gone.

"So," L said, abandoning the paper to the couch and turning to Matsuda - apparently, he'd noticed that the other man had mostly recovered. "What happened to make you spill?"

-

Come to find out, Taisho was surprisingly accomodating once L had assured him that Kagome's life would be protected at all costs. He even sent a man over - a tall, gangly kid with reddish brown hair, large green eyes and an infectious smile - to help with arrangements and negotiate changes in Kagome's current life style. Apparently, after their confrontation, Taisho had no desire to talk to or communicate with L or Light or anyone else of their lot - ilk, in his words, or so said Hokashi-san - if he could help it.

Hokashi wasn't very surprised when L mentioned the threat, fishing for a response of some sort. "Did he? Well... I coulda sworn we cured him of his 'must kill to protect' urges... Gotta talk to Kagome about that." He grinned at L's surprised look and shrugged. "There's one thing that comes before Sesshomaru and his family or his company, and that's Kagome. No one knows why. No one much cares."

L thought over that, and decided after a moment that, given Taisho's personality and the fact that neither he nor Higurashi had been romantically involved in the last five years that they'd known each other, it was most likely a friend thing and had nothing to do with non-platonic feelings. Taisho didn't seem the sort, anyway.

"Interesting..." L abruptly turned back to their earlier conversation from before they digressed into light conversation on Taisho's abilities to intimidate. Okay, so 'light conversation' wasn't quite the term, but it fit best. L wasn't really trying to delve; just curious. "Anyway, I need Kagome to stay here, for her protection," he said. He'd also found that Hokashi looked uncomfortable when referring to Kagome as 'Higurashi', though he had no idea why. So he just used her given name and figured she'd get over it.

"I dunno," Hokashi said, shifting uncomfortably and grimacing. "Kagome won't like being confined to one place..."

"I'll make it up to her," L replied dismissively. "I need to know her tastes, so we can prepare a room for her."

Hokashi, clearly sensing that L was probably as stubborn as Taisho - or so L liked to think - sighed. "She likes her privacy, so a lock for her to use would be good. Um... She doesn't like extravagant things, though you could probably get away with an over-extravagant bathroom, since she loves to bathe and anything that comes with bathing." A tiny smirk twitched the corner of his lips. "She likes junk food; a lot. So maybe a small refrigerator in her room and a stove for cooking.

"She likes big beds, but she usually just gets a small one - fluffy and stuff," here he visibly bit back a smirk, "But not expensive. She hates expensive." A pause, and L hurried to write it all down. "Um... She likes Oden, so getting her the stuff for it occasionally wouldn't be a bad idea, and she loves her chocolate." Here, he narrowed his eyes at L. "Never touch it."

Later, L would understand the severity of this warning, but at the current moment, he only smiled innocently. "Sure! Now, about the stove..."

-

After the Tootsie Roll fiasco, Kagome came out into the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a Hello Kitty hoody. She had calmed herself down enough in the last half hour that she was able to walk calmly to the fridge, ignoring the three gazes following her over a game of scrabble - they'd somehow managed to get Sesshomaru involved - and open the door. She paused.

"Whoever ate my chicken is dead meat," she said bluntly, glaring at the detective over her shoulder.

He held his hands up. "That wasn't me. I swear."

She scowled and opened her mouth to refute it, but paused when she remembered who had bought the chicken. Her grip on the refrigerator's handle tightened and her knuckles turned white as she turned away. "Fine," she said, reaching for the milk and pulling it out. She got out the eggs and started making herself some scrambled eggs, still ignoring the room at large.

Sesshomaru finally spoke, just as she turned the stove off and started scraping the eggs onto her plate. "Kagome," he said, and his voice was softer than L had ever heard it, surprising the detective. "You should sit down."

She didn't answer him for a moment, placing the pan in the sink and running water into it. She added a bit of dish liquid and shut the water off before getting a fork from the silverware drawer and slowly turning around, plate in hand. "Why?" she asked, gazing at the man, eyes showing no heat and movements slow. Deliberate.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "Kagome, sit." The order in his voice was unmistakable, and if she ignored it, L would be surprised.

Kagome frowned at him, but sighed and sat, picking at her eggs. "What is it this time, Sesshomaru?" she asked, looking so tired, eyes showing age and experience beyond her years. L wondered if anyone else close to her had died, aside from Hojo. That would certainly explain things quite a bit. She went on. "Is Naraku back? Or... Maybe Jaken didn't really go. Have you seen Inuyasha at all these past years? Tell me, do you _ever_ visit him?"

"That's enough," Sesshomaru said, tone warning, and L had no idea who these people were, but something told him that there was a secret to her words. And she'd apparently forgotten he and Light.

"Enough?" she asked, eyes rising. "What's enough, Sesshomaru? Do you fear the past that much?"

"I do not fear the past," he replied, voice rising a bit. "It is you who fear it. It and the well."

"I don't fear the well!" she replied with gritted teeth. "I fear what will happen if I ever go back to the past!"

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru snapped loudly, and she slumped, suddenly remembering their audience. Sesshomaru sighed. "Your mother misses you."

She looked back down at her eggs. "I know. She calls."

He crossed his arms, leaning back. "You won't need to run anymore. Not for a while." He sighed. "I want you to assist the detectives in their pursuit of Kira," he said, getting to the point. "You'll be staying there."

Her gaze was sharp when she looked up at him, fingers tightening on the fork in her hand and lips thinning. "So who died and made you my master?" she demanded sharply.

"Inuyasha." That one word was enough to make Kagome pale and look down, and to L's shock, a tear trailed down her cheek. She coughed, reaching up with her free hand to rub her cheek in a vain attempt to stop the tears from pouring. Sesshomaru looked regretful, but firm, even as Kagome pushed the plate away and lay her head on her arms where they'd folded on the table. Her shoulders shook and her breath stumbled, but she couldn't say anything to refute whatever Sesshomaru meant.

Didn't want to say anything.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice soaked with sorrow. "Okay. I'll help. I'm used to hunting monsters; what's one more?"

-

**Wah~! What a sad ending to a chapter. But necessary. Next chapter will most likely be a filler chapter, but bear with me. I'm glad you guys are loving this so much. XD**

**And, because this ended so sadly, an Omake for your reading pleasure.**

Ryuk glared at Rem, who glared back. Misa looked between the two before sneeking a peak at Light. His face was still buried in his hands. Apparently, he was still mortified. Misa wasn't very far behind him.

Ryuk slammed his hands down on the table. "Ha! Royal flush!"

"What?!" Rem gasped, and then glared. "Dammit." She then reached up and removed a_nother_ earring. Misa fell over. Light moaned.

Apparently strip poker should be banned, even though neither shinigami had managed to remove any actual clothing yet.

**Haha. I love that. They really have so many damn pieces of jewelry and accessories. And of course, you don't know how many piercings Rem has, since her ears are always covered by her hair.**

**The shinigami found a new game. XD R&R! Don't just fave/alert! XD**


	6. Home away from Home

**Taboo**

**Chapter 5**

**Home away from Home**

-

Kagome stared in shock at the room around her, the hovering, slouched man and his companion - who she was almost positive was his significant other, though this had yet to be proved - behind her forgotten. It was perfect. Like a paradise. Like... Well, like something out of her dreams. With a little squeal - L and Light both winced - she dashed over and hopped up on the bed, sprawling out with arms wide. "Oh my god! This is awesome!" she said giddily.

Abruptly, she sat up and surveyed the room, taking full stock of her surroundings like Sesshomaru had taught her. The bed was across from the door, a plain, undecorated dresser backed up into the corner in front of a window a few feet away, against the same wall.

Across from the dresser, the carpet had been cut away in a rounded square and the floor tiled. On the uncarpeted floor was a small fridge, the sort you'd find in hotel rooms, and an equally tiny one-burner stove, with a large easy-bake-esque oven beneath. A one-bowl, bathroom like sink completed the kitchenette, set up so that there was a cupboard underneath for storage. A row of three more cupboards lined the floor along the right wall on the carpeted area, branching just off the kitchenette. A dish-rag had been loosely tied around the handle of one.

On the other side of the room, a desk had been set up with her computer already hooked up and everything, though off. A small desk-chair - obviously new - was tucked into the niche for such in the desk, it's cushion, back and arm rests made of some sort of soft red cloth. There were various drawers in the desk, a lock in the top right hand one, and a key resting just above that. It had a pull-out tray for the mouse and keyboard, and little shelves for the monitor and speakers. It looked a little on the expensive side, but Kagome supposed she could deal.

It was free, after all.

On the far wall, the same one the bed was up against, in the corner there were two open doors, one a slider the other opening inward onto a bathroom. She stood and peered into the sliding-door, seeing a mostly empty closet, with the exception of a few of her bags on the floor, and dismissed it after seeing the pole at eye level, and the two rows of shelves above that. She stepped over to the bathroom and gasped softly.

This room was nearly half the size of her new bedroom, and much more extravagant. In fact, it put her bedroom to shame. A large jacuzzi ran along the back wall, easily eight feet long and five feet wide. It was probably nearly three feet deep, too. Along the bottom was a green rubber mat to prevent slipping, and a shower head was set up on the back wall, with a curtain tucked against the right side of the tub. A little white rack hung from a plastic peg on the left wall, holding strawberry shaving creme, disposable razors and new, unused soaps and bath salts, her favorite kind of shampoo - orange and creme, Suave - and last but not least, clean washcloths.

On a wooden peg across from the humongous, two bowl sink were two pale pink towels, each with her name embroidered in gold lettering like an expensive hotel. She bit back a cringe at that - men liked to spoil her, didn't they? - and turned away from the room, stepping out.

When she looked at her two companions - both looking simultaneously expectant and nervous - she couldn't help the giggle that slipped out. "I love it, though you really didn't need to spend so much on me. I would have been happy with a big bed and the jacuzzi."

L grinned, elbowing his annoyed counterpart - Light grunted and shot him a frown - and remarked casually, "I didn't think you'd mind going overboard on the bathroom. Hokashi-san said you liked staying clean."

Her expression brightened. "You've met Shippo! How is he?"

Light smiled slightly. "He's... Frank. And excitable."

The miko laughed at that. "That's Shippo. Wonder what he's been up to..." She shook her head and bowed deeply, grinning like a silly idiot. "Really, all this means a lot to me. Thank you so much. Especially the kitchenette. I like making my own food, so I was worrying about having to deal with take-out."

"That's usually what I do," L muttered, pouting at the sigh from Light that this statement produced.

"Well anyway," the brunet said, shaking his head and smiling sincerely at her. "Welcome to the team, I guess."

Her answering grin was infectious enough to have even L smirk slightly. "Thanks, Yagami-kun!"

-

"You're poutin'," Ryuk noted as he floated in the corner of Light's bedroom.

"I am not," protested the boy distractedly, even as he glared down at the Death Note like it would produce the answers he was looking for.

Ryuk snorted, eyelids lowering in amusement. "Right. And Rem's my girlfriend."

Light looked up at that, incredulity on his face for a moment before he realized that the shinigami was being sarcastic. Then he scowled at the thought that he hadn't known it immediately. "I'm just... Irritated. I've been all out of whack ever since that damned witch showed up." He huffed and brushed his hair out of his face in irate annoyance.

"Witch?" Bulbous eyes widened. "You met a witch?"

The human rolled his eyes. "Not literally, Ryuk. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if you were to say they were real." A pointed look in his companion's direction produced no reaction, so he shrugged that half-query off and turned his attention back to his inner thoughts. "That girl. The human murderer. There's just something about her that sets me off like nothing else. Not to mention she's getting all cozy with Ryuzaki and-"

"Ah-ha!" Ryuk's exclamation distracted the brunet, causing him to turn and look at the excited look on the shinigami's face. "You're jealous!"

Several unfinished emotions flickered across Light's face before it settled, once more, to incredulity. "Are you crazy? Jealous? Of who! I don't-"

"Of both of 'em!" Ryuk proclaimed accusingly, practically dancing with glee. "You like this pretty little enigma, and I already know Mr. Brains gets you all hot and bothered on a regular basis. I think Light-kun's gotta crush!" A delighted cackle ensued at Light's horrified expression. "And what's more, on his _enemies_!"

"That- that is- Who do you- You are- That is _preposterous_!" the boy finally yelped after much stuttering, only serving to send Ryuk into further twitters. "Ooooh," he growled.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, followed by the concerned voice of his mother. "Light? Are you okay? Who are you talking to, sweety?"

The brunet forced himself to calm down and mumbled about idiot shinigami under his breath before answering. "It's fine, Mom. I'm just talking to someone on the phone, that's all," he said.

The relief in her voice was tangible. "Oh. Okay. You had me worried. Are you sure you're alright? You sounded pretty upset...?" It came out as more of a question, but she thankfully wasn't able to see the accusing glower the boy shot in the direction of the corner, mostly for making his mother worry about his mental health.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry, Mom. Just having an argument with a friend."

"'Friend'," Ryuk mimicked annoyingly, making his voice high-pitched.

"Alright."

Her footsteps receded and Light scoffed before abruptly spinning away from the shinigami. "What is wrong with you tonight?" he demanded irritably. "You never tease me like this. It's almost as if you're trying to distract me or something." Silence. Light's hand paused, pen-tip inches from the Death Note's page. Slowly, his head turned and he looked up at the shinigami, who was pretending to be interested in some book on a shelf. Brown eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding, Ryuk?" he demanded quietly.

Ryuk looked up, trying and failing to appear innocent. "Who, me?" he asked, voice just a tad shrill.

Or maybe Light was imagining it. Still, his brows furrowed as he directed a dark stare at the being only he and Misa could actually see. "Ry-u-k," he growled softly, warningly.

"Uh... Heh," Ryuk coughed and cleared his throat. "Erm... Yeah. Guess I should say something..." He shifted, improbably, in the air, taking on a nervous atmosphere that only served to agitate the human further. "That girl... Higurashi, right?" A careful, suspicious nod. "You can't kill her."

The room froze, and if Ryuk didn't know better, he would have sworn that the temperature dropped several degrees, even as the expression on Light's face went completely blank. "Really." It wasn't a question, not that Light gave Ryuk the chance to answer it. "Now, I hope there's a good reason for this little stipulation you've come up with. So spill."

Ryuk knew he wouldn't be happy. Godsdammit.

-

**Phew. That was strenuous. Gods, I think I'm developing a headache.**

**And yes, that was the world's most torturing cliffy. *smirk* And you have to wait for the next chapter, too! ... probably. I'm reading the DN manga right now (I have only seen the anime), so you might get quicker updates. That's a maybe, so don't get your hopes up, babes.**

**Now, I dedicate this chapter to Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami and Akuma-Chibi, both of whom reviewed within minutes of me updating the last chapter. Seriously; I love people who do that. It made my day like nothing else.**

**I love you people! Everyone who reviews! I have over fifty reviews for this story, and it makes me so happy. Let's try to take it to 100!!!**

**XOXOXO,**

**TSV**


	7. The Taboo: Inuyasha's Fate

**Taboo**

**Chapter 6**

**The Taboo: Inuyasha's Fate**

-

Kagome's eyes roved over the semi-lit room she was now more or less confined to. L had assured her that she was free to roam the household, and use any of the rooms with prior warning, but she knew without having to be told that she wasn't allowed outside...

_"What's wrong?"_ a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

She leaned back slightly, knowing she'd feel nothing but air. "Inuyasha..." Shaking her head, she walked forward and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, looking to where he stood just inside to doorway. A wistful smile touched her face at his confused expression. "I haven't seen you in almost a month," she chided lightly, voice soft so that any eavesdroppers wouldn't hear her.

He smirked cockily at her. _"Yeah? You miss me, Kagome?" _he asked, leaning back against the door.

The miko nodded eagerly. "Un! I really did."

_"Aw, shucks. Now I feel bad." _He pushed away from the door and meandered around the room, brushing his fingers through things, touching decorations she knew he couldn't feel. _"This place is pretty nifty, Kags. And I've seen my fair share of nifty." _A silver brow quirked at her as he stopped half on the tiled corner. _"What's this all about Kags?"_ His arms crossed as he leaned back, presumably against the wall.

Kagome sighed and slumped back onto the bed, staring up at the canopy overhead. "I killed Hojo. It was an accident and I didn't mean to, but I still killed him."

_"Tch. Bastard had it coming, the way he was so blindingly clueless to yer feelings, Kagome,"_ he assured her in such an arrogant manner that she was hard-pressed to believe he felt sorry for her ex at all. _"But that doesn't explain why you're in a gilded cage."_

She blinked and looked over at him. "What? How'd you know it was a 'cage'?" she asked, confusion marring her features.

He tilted his chin, eyes staring into the darkened light-fixture. _"A camera. Probably has a speaker, too."_ The hanyo frowned and walked up the wall, hanging upside down beside the light and crouching to draw closer to it. Impossibly, his hair didn't fall downward with the press of gravity, but Kagome supposed that was alright, since he was dead and all. _"You didn't know?"_

The miko shook her head, starting to tremble with both fear and anger. They were probably watching. They probably thought she was crazy. "That... That _bastard_!" she exclaimed, but her voice broke in the middle and she was on her feet before Inuyasha could stop her and out the door, fury and fear thrumming through her veins.

-

"Ah, ready to go?" L asked gleefully, mouth half-full of Pocky.

Kagome smiled and nodded, shifting her bag higher onto her shoulder. Light returned the smile and offered to take it for her, but she denied him with a smile and an excuse of personal products. Really, though, the Shikon was inside the bag, and given the strange aura around the boy, she didn't want him to taint the jewel. He seemed unaffected by her refusal and walked along-side her, L sidling up as well to throw an arm around her shoulders and grin.

His offer of Pocky was also turned down.

Once they were comfortable in L's limo, Light finally turned their otherwise *light conversation to another, deeper topic. "So... I couldn't help but notice the other day's argument between yourself and Taisho-san, Higurashi-san," he said idly, brow quirking as L surreptitiously watched her between bites of Pocky. "What was that about?"

L was curious to see that her demeanor was somewhat dampened, though she feigned confusion. "What do you mean?" the girl asked sweetly, smiling brightly at him. "You mean the thing about the well?"

"That," Light allowed, inclining his head and darting L a quick glance, "As well as the person - Inuyasha - that you mentioned, and something about hunting monsters?"

"Oh, well..." She turned her gaze to the window, avoiding meeting their eyes. "Inuyasha... Is Sesshomaru's departed brother, and my first boyfriend. The well's this old water well on my family's shrine. It was decaying, causing a lot of sickness when I was younger. And monsters..." A mirthless smile touched her lips and her fingers twitched to touch a small pocket on her bag. "Some demons are meant to never be remembered, Yagami-kun. You'd do well to remember that." She glanced at him, still smiling, but her eyes were empty. Almost sad. Almost.

Beside L, Light stiffened with indignation and his mouth opened, but L not-so-subtly stepped on his foot, making him cringe and bite back a visible yelp. The detective ignored the resulting glare and smiled at Kagome. "Demons, you say? Funny you should mention that... Tell me, Kagome. Do you believe in shinigami?"

Her laughter was startling, and she never bothered answering. L just knew he'd inadvertently stumbled upon another one of this girl's numerous and heavily guarded secrets. He resisted the urge to grin at the challenge.

Perfect.

-

"Spill."

Ryuk shifted again, nervous and a little annoyed. Light was _not_ happy. "Er... There was an... issue, about five hundred years ago with a shinigami named Gredos." He scratched the back of his neck. "He died."

Brown eyes widened. "He what?" the boy breathed, shocked and uncertain. Hadn't Ryuk told him that shinigami couldn't die? Then what was he blathering on about? "Explain!" he insisted when Ryuk simply trailed off.

"Gredos wanted to know what would happen if he took the life-span of a demon, so... He searched the human world for one-"

"Wait, demons exist? Like, evil, hell-spawn demons?" the human interrupted, confused.

Annoyed, Ryuk waved him off. "I'll explain it later, Light. Just let me finish this." Satisfied when the boy fell silent once more, he glanced out the window, shook his head, and continued.

"Well, he looked for one, and unable to find one with a long enough life-span, he settled on a half-demon instead. Long enough life and everything. No one knows if it'd work on a demon or not, to this day. It may have just been the human in him, but... It worked with the hanyo. Only problem was, the hanyo had a very powerful miko witness it. Horrified, the miko ran to the hanyo's brother, who confronted Gredos.

"Gredos got away. Injured, but he was still alive. I'm sorta surprised the demon was able to injure him, given that he was one of us and pretty powerful to boot. But it happened, and Gredos fled back to the shinigami realm. Thinking about revenge, he returned to destroy the demon that injured him. Which was, in hindsight, a Very Bad Idea. The miko was present and without a thought, grieving for the life of the hanyo, purified him.

"Miko can kill us. It's a taboo to kill them, Light. It's one of our few Rules; thou shalt never kill a miko. We usually avoid them and their families like the plague, but you've somehow gotten involved with one. That little girl, Higurashi, is a miko." Eyes narrowed. "If you try to kill her, Light, I will kill you on the spot. Without hesitation."

The blood had drained from Light's face by this point, his plans and schemes freezing in his mind. No. Then this was it? Higurashi Kagome, murderer and miko, would get away with everything? No... There had to be some loop hole. Some way to get it done-

"Don't even think about it, Light," Ryuk warned, voice soft but menacing. "You. cannot. kill her. She's off limits." He shifted uneasily, waiting for Light's reaction.

And slowly, it came, in the form of half-crazed, furious, haunting laughter that echoed into the night.

-

**Yep. Ryuk was right. Light was NOT happy. Lol. And I shall torture you with another cliffy. Mwa ha ha. I am evil. R&R! Don't just fave/alert! SERIOUSLY!!!**


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